If you’re a Mets fan, you likely have your own fair share of memorabilia from over the years. Whether it was a giveaway or an autograph, each has its own story, and some are just frankly a bit more obscure than others.

Think about all of your sports memorabilia — is there a piece in your collection that makes you think twice?

Or, if someone comes over and sees it, makes them think twice? It’s just not your normal “David Wright autographed baseball” — not that there’s anything wrong with any of it! Some pieces just tend to be funnier than others and we want to share some of ours with you.

Sal

The most bizarre piece of memorabilia that I own has to be my Marlon Anderson game-used bat. In 2009 I was on vacation with my parents near Port St. Lucie, so naturally we went to Clover Park to watch a St. Lucie Mets game. I’ve always loved and been interested by sports memorabilia, so when I went up to the apparel kiosk and saw game-used bats I had to ask about them. They said that many of the big-league players leave their extra bats and other equipment behind after spring training, which the park then will sell during the minor league season. Of course I couldn’t help myself, and had to examine every game-used bat that they had. I couldn’t afford the David Wright or Carlos Beltran level equipment, so I settled on one of my favorite bench players for the Mets in the mid 2000’s, the great Marlon Anderson.

Laney 

As a kid I was absolutely obsessed with Josh Thole. I can’t tell you why, but one day I spent my 12-year-old life savings to buy a signed Thole ball. I still have it and I plan on putting it in a proper case one day since that’s what a piece of art deserves.

Jack

I have a Matt Harvey bobblehead that I got at a Mets/Pirates game in June of 2016. His glove-hand fell off in my backpack on the train ride home. I decided to keep it anyway. I have the glove somewhere and could superglue it back on, but there’s some foreshadowing going on there that I more or less have to respect. It just sits on my desk, a daily reminder of our mortality.

Jacob 

Jay Horwitz bobblehead. I would not like to offer further comment. (Author’s note: I am trying to get Jacob to comment further on this.)

Matt

When I was younger, I thought Nick Evans was going to be the guy that would lead us to the promised land. I’m still not sure why, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to say I was one of the more optimistic Mets fans out there. So, I was beyond thrilled when I met Evans in middle school at a game and got him to sign my David Wright drawstring bag, which was the day’s promotion. Somehow, a decade later, that Nick Evans signed drawstring followed me to college and became my go-to bag for whenever I need one.

Marissa

I don’t have much Mets memorabilia so I’m going to go with a signed ball I have from a Reds spring training game in 2018. You might ask how this has to do with the Mets but one of the team members I got to sign it is Jim Riggleman, who happened to be the Mets bench coach last year. Kind of a weird and funny coincidence.

Sam

Back in 2016, my family and I went on a road trip to see some different stadiums and see the Mets play. We went to Chicago and St. Louis that summer and while in Chicago, I got Terry Collins and James Loney to sign two different baseballs for me. I bring it up as random/odd not because James Loney wasn’t a good player, but because he was on the team for such a short time. I mean if you ask someone in three years from now, or even now, about James Loney being a Met, they will be like “OH YEAH, he did play for them for a minute.”

Mojo

I already mentioned my signed, game-worn Danny Muno, Gavin Cecchini, Kevin Plawecki, and Kyle Regnault 51s jerseys in last week’s roundtable, so I guess I’ll mention the balls that I got signed by essentially every member of the 51s bullpen.

Tim 

Whenever I go on vacation, I still use my Ivory Soap-sponsored, 1986 World Champions toiletries bag I got as a giveaway at my first Mets game in 1987. (Author’s note: I would like one of these giveaways.) 

Michelle

This should come to no surprise to anyone who follows me on social media, but I have a piece of the plate Bartolo Colon crossed post his home run. A solid Christmas gift from my mother, if I do say so myself. It proudly hangs in my home.

Mike 

My brother and I decided to go into this pawn shop Maine because we were bored and saw some cool shit through the window. Now, living in Maine, you don’t see much Mets stuff in stores. So when you do as Mets fans like us, you scoop whatever it is up. They only had one piece of Mets memorabilia in the whole store. I can say I’m the proud owner of a Mo Vaughn Mets bobblehead.

What is your most obscure piece of memorabilia? Comment below or tweet a picture to us @MetsMerized. 

The post MMO Roundtable: Most Obscure Mets Memorabilia appeared first on Metsmerized.

In May 2016, Mets’ slugging first baseman Lucas Duda was placed on the disabled list for a stress fracture in his lower back. With his return date in question, the club looked to quickly address their need at first base.

Less than a week from when the Mets placed Duda on the DL, they acquired veteran first baseman James Loney from the San Diego Padres for cash considerations.

Prior to being dealt, the left-handed-hitting Loney was playing for the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in El Paso, slashing .342/.373/.424 in 44 games. Before signing a minor league contract with the Padres in 2016, Loney had spent his first ten seasons playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays.

With the Mets, Loney slashed .265/.307/.397 with 16 doubles, nine homers and 34 RBIs in 366 plate appearances. He also got to reunite with Terry Collins, who was the Dodgers’ field coordinator when Los Angeles selected Loney with the 19th overall pick in the 2002 MLB Draft.

Loney fared well early on with the Mets, recording a 123 wRC+ over 111 plate appearances in June, followed by a 111 wRC+ over 91 plate appearances in July. The month of August is where Loney hit a rough patch, posting a paltry 17 wRC+ with just one extra-base hit while rarely getting on base (.222 OBP, 1.1 BB%).

The veteran reversed his subpar August numbers to finish the season strong, posting a 119 wRC+, recording a 35.5 line drive rate (best of any month in 2016) and a .212 ISO (also his best mark of any month that season).

Unbeknownst to Loney, the National League Wild Card Game featuring the Mets and San Francisco Giants would be the final major league game of his career. In 2017, Loney hooked on with three different organizations on minor league deals (Rangers, Tigers, Braves), but was either released or granted his release and was without a team by the end of May.

In July of that year, the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) signed the veteran for $350,000. His tenure was short-lived, as Loney left South Korea after playing in just 23 games with the Twins. The club wanted to send Loney to their minor league affiliate after he was having trouble adjusting to the new league, but instead, Loney returned to the States.

After sitting out the 2018 season, Loney attempted a comeback by signing with the indy ball Sugar Land Skeeters in February 2019 as a two-way player (Loney pitched in high school and most teams were scouting him as a pitcher) and coach. He appeared in 11 games for the Skeeters, posting a .278/.357/.333 slash while also pitching an inning in relief for the club before announcing his retirement from baseball in early May.

This past offseason, Loney accepted a job with the Arizona Diamondbacks in their baseball operations department, where he’ll have the opportunity to work in a variety of roles, including scouting, player development and as a mentor.

Overall, Loney appeared in over 1,400 major league games over an eleven-year stretch (2006-2016), posting a career slash of .284/.336/.410 and a 103 wRC+. His ability to stay healthy was evident as he appeared in the fifth-most games from 2008-2014 (1,095), playing in at least 155 games six out of those seven seasons. In his rookie season in 2007, Loney finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting while posting the second-highest wRC+ (137) among qualified rookies.

I had the privilege of speaking with Loney over the winter, where we discussed his early roots as a pitcher, thoughts on Terry Collins and his time in New York.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Loney: I would say Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez. I got to play against all of those guys at one point which was pretty cool.

MMO: I read that your high school coach was Matt Carpenter’s father Rick. In past interviews, you’ve named Rick as an influential coach. Can you talk a bit about what made him so memorable for you?

Loney: I just felt like he had a great balance with everything. He always told us not to get too high or too low, and that things are going to fluctuate in this game.

He had such a competitive spirit; if we lost to a team, he felt we had no business losing to, we were going to pay for it in practice by either running or doing something we really didn’t like. He still had that fight in him, even though when you meet him for the first 30 seconds, you’d think he’s probably one of the nicest guys in the world.

MMO: I read that prior to the 2002 MLB Draft, 26 of the 30 clubs were looking at you as a pitcher, and the Dodgers were one of just a handful of teams that had an interest in you as a position player. Did you think heading into the Draft that you were going to be taken as a pitcher?

Loney: I think it was 28 teams, because the only two teams that I remember looking at me as a hitter were the Pirates and the Dodgers.

I thought I was going to be a pitcher, and I always liked doing both. In high school, it was never like I wanted to do one more than the other; I just wanted to play.

I was throwing 92-94 mph in high school as a lefty, so I thought I was definitely going to get drafted as a pitcher. The Dodgers said they wanted to take me as a hitter, and if it didn’t work out, then we can try to go back to pitching later on. And I told them okay, let’s do it!

MMO: I can’t believe that you never made an appearance on the mound during your eleven years in the majors!

Loney: When I was with the Dodgers, I was kind of the young guy, and they didn’t want to blow out your arm. And then when I went to Tampa and had a really good year and I got a three-year contract thereafter, it was like we can’t blow that guy’s arm out either. [Laughs.]

When I went to the Mets, I was a pretty key piece there because with Duda going down, I just don’t think it was ever good timing. Maybe if I played a little bit longer, I think I would’ve gotten that chance for sure. I might’ve gotten that chance with today’s game because I think you are seeing guys get those chances a lot younger now.

MMO: What are your memories from the 2002 Draft? Did you have any notion of where you’d be selected?

Loney: I didn’t know until the day before. The Dodgers called me the day before and said, “Hey, we’re going to take you with this pick, and this is how much it’s going to be.”

And I was like, ‘Yeah, I like it. Let’s go!’

I was ready to start. I think I started a week after my high school season ended. But before that, I was thinking I’d go in the top five rounds, and I was thinking I was going to go as a pitcher.

MMO: You came up with a group of young, talented Dodgers in Matt Kemp, Russell Martin and Andre Ethier. Can you talk a bit about that camaraderie, and if it helped your transition to the majors?

Loney: I don’t think it can hurt. We had a great group and core of guys that were hungry to make it to the big leagues. Guys that fed off each other; I think we all made each other better. It was a lot of different personalities.

I think we helped the younger guys that came up too, whether it was through communication or just the way we played. I think it helped set the tone for those years in L.A.

MMO:  Your career postseason numbers are extremely impressive: a .350 AVG, 16 RBI, .954 OPS. Obviously, the postseason is a completely different animal, and you’re facing some of the best pitchers in the game in a short series. How did you keep so calm and be able to have such great success in the postseason?

Loney: I think, for me, I always believed that I belonged there. When the playoffs came around, it was like, who doesn’t want that? It was a fun time and we all wanted to get to the World Series.

I always believed in my abilities in those situations, I never felt the pressure or that the crowd was on me. I liked playing on the road.

MMO: One of your most memorable moments in a Dodgers uniform was your grand slam in Game One of the 2008 NLDS vs. the Cubs on the road. Can you talk a bit about that at-bat against Ryan Dempster in the fifth?

Loney: We had bases loaded, and Dempster threw me a split-finger in the dirt, and I swung at. He threw another split-finger in the dirt, and I swung at it. Then he threw me a high fastball just out of the zone that I didn’t swing at. Then I was like, I know he’s going to throw another split-finger here; I just knew it after he already threw me two that I swung at. Sure enough, he threw another one, but he didn’t bounce this one. [Laughs.] He left it right there for me to hit, so that’s how that at-bat went down.

MMO: Terry Collins was the Dodgers field coordinator and director of player development while you were in the early portion of your professional career. You then had him as your manager in 2016 with the Mets. I’m curious what your thoughts of Collins are from your tenure with the Dodgers, and one season with the Mets?

Loney: I thought he was awesome. My first year in pro ball, and I’m eighteen years old, I don’t know what to expect, and you’ve got this guy running around who’s all fiery and yelling. But you could tell that he had passion and he cared for the players, and he cared about the organization.

I remember him taking us to his house that he had in Florida, some of the younger guys and just was talking to us and telling us how it was going to be. That was really special and one of the things I remember with the Dodgers.

Then going to the Mets was pretty cool with like, what you said, being my last year in the big leagues with him and making it to the one-game playoff. But he’s always been a great guy.

MMO: You spent what would be your final major league season with the Mets in 2016. What are your memories from playing with the Mets that year, and what were your impressions of playing in New York?

Loney: I thought it was great! Great guys on the team and made some great relationships there. And just the atmosphere there, with the fans bringing it every single night. You felt like you had a little bit of a home-field advantage. It felt like Dodger Stadium a bit, just with the passion the fans brought. They feel like they’re on the field with you; they felt like they just hit that home run or just struck out a big batter. I loved it.

MMO: You signed with the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization in 2017, and played in 23 games. How was your experience there, and what were some of the major differences between the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and Major League Baseball?

Loney: Where I was in Seoul was kind of like New York; I think it’s around 9-10 million people. It’s like a big party there versus the U.S. during a game. They’re banging on drums, blowing whistles, boomboxes in the stands. So it’s a pretty good atmosphere there.

You stand out a little bit as an American, so when you leave the game, people know you. But they’re so into baseball; I think overall they might be more into baseball just because I think a lot of the history some of their guys had in the major leagues and the following that they created. And it’s their number one sport for sure.

MMO: We often match up offensive profiles with a player’s position and first base is normally a position that features power. You were a bit different in approach, as you were a guy that made a ton of contact & had low strikeout rates. Can you talk a little about your approach at the plate during your career?

Loney: I look back at it now, and there were probably some times I should’ve tried to pull the ball more and hit for more power. I think from an early age and early in my career, I had pretty good averages, so I think I was just kind of content staying in that range versus if I tried to go for power, and if it doesn’t happen AND my average goes down, then it’ll be like what happened to this guy.

I was getting away with hitting .280-.290 for a while and driving in runs, but when I look back on it, I would definitely have taken a few more chances, especially in situations where I knew or had a good feeling that a certain pitch was coming.

MMO: Throughout your career, how much did you incorporate analytics into your game plan?

Loney: I’d be into it for a little bit and then I’d be out for a little bit. I think looking back I should’ve been into it more, as far as getting the information and then using it and processing how I would use it in a situation. I would watch videos of some guys from my at-bats or maybe their last start, so I was pretty prepared.

Looking back at it, I think I could’ve prepared just a little more, especially for situations where I was looking to hit for more power or certain situations where the game is on the line.

MMO: When you look back over your career, what are you most proud of?

Loney: I would say my health. I wasn’t hurt that much and I think that’s missed a lot in today’s game. Getting on the field, that counts, and I take a lot of pride in that. And even when I did get hurt – I slid into a base and I was out for like six weeks – but that was sliding it wasn’t from pulling a hamstring.

MMO: It was reported this offseason that you accepted a role with the Arizona Diamondbacks in their baseball operations/player development departments. First off, congratulations! Secondly, was this something you were looking to get into for some time? And what types of roles are you going to take on with Arizona?

Loney: I’ve been thinking about it. I was really wanting to get back and help the game any way that I can. I think this is the best way to do it because I’m not necessarily just for player development; baseball operations is a really broad field where you can do some scouting, player development and mental skills.

There are so many different areas, so I get to navigate my way around those different areas this year to kind of see what I like, and see what I can help out without being tied down to one spot.

MMO: Thanks for your time, James. Best of luck with the Diamondbacks.

Loney: Thanks very much.

Follow James Loney on Twitter, @james_loney

The post MMO Exclusive: Former First Baseman, James Loney appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo: Mets.com

With the Winter Meetings only a day away, here is everything you need to know as the New York Mets continue to build their 2019 Opening Day roster.

This Mets Winter Meetings Planner includes: Payroll Projections and Commitments, Arbitration Eligible Players with Projections, Rule 5 Report, Mets Offseason Needs, Latest Buzz, and Important Dates.

Guaranteed Contracts ($81.8 million)

Yoenis Cespedes – $29 million

Robinson Cano – $24 million ($19 million net)

David Wright – $15 million ($7.8 million net)

Juan Lagares – $9 million

Todd Frazier – $9 million

Jason Vargas – $8 million

The Mets have $89 million tied up on these six players. The Mets received $20 million from the Mariners toward the $120 million Robinson Cano is owed over the next five seasons. The $20 million is spread out as follows: $5 million in 2019 and then $3.75 million over the final four years. So the amount the Mets are liable for in 2019 is $19 million.

Additionally, the Mets are expected to recoup $7.2 million from the insurance policy on David Wright’s contract. That brings the amount the Mets are liable for to $7.8 million.

Player Options ($2.5 million)

Jason Vargas – $2 million

Juan Lagares – $500,000

The Mets are also liable for two 2020 player options in 2019.

Projected Arbitration ($36.5 million)

Jacob deGrom – $12.9 million ($7.4 million)

Noah Syndergaard – $5.9 million ($2.975 million)

Zack Wheeler – $5.3 million ($1.9 million)

Michael Conforto – $4.4 million ($605,000)

Travis d’Arnaud – $3.7 million ($3.475 million)

Steven Matz – $3.0 million ($577,000)

Kevin Plawecki – $1.3 million ($557,000)

The number in parenthesis represents each player’s 2018 salary while the first number is the projected salary for the 2019 season by MLB Trade Rumors. In 2018 these seven players earned $17.49 million dollars. That number is projected to climb to $36.5 million.

The most significant increases went to Michael Conforto, Zack Wheeler and Jacob deGrom who will get a $5.5 million raise after his Cy Young Award winning season.

Pre-Arbitration Contracts ($7.2 million)

Brandon Nimmo

Amed Rosario

Jeff McNeil

T.J. Rivera

Robert Gsellman

Edwin Diaz

Seth Lugo

The Mets pre-arbitration players have non-guaranteed contracts are tabulated at an arbitrary $600,000 each for a total of  $7.2 million on 12 players to fill out the 25 man roster.

Total Current Payroll – $128 million

This includes total guaranteed contracts, projected arbitration, pre -arbitration players, and adjustments for player options and insurance payments.

Last year, Mets payroll came in at roughly $150 million and it is expected to be at least that much for the 2019 season although there has been no official indication by the front office or ownership. At that level it places the Mets in the middle of the pack among all MLB teams and not quite the payroll budget you would expect from a big market team.

The 2018 Baseball Winter Meetings will be held Dec. 9-13, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

On Sunday, the National Baseball Hall of Fame Eras Committee gathers at the Winter Meetings to discuss and vote on this year’s ballot. featuring Harold Baines, Albert Belle, Joe Carter, Will Clark, Orel Hershiser, Davey Johnson, Charlie Manuel, Lou Piniella, Lee Smith and George Steinbrenner. The results will be announced at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday on MLB Network.

Rule 5 Draft

The Rule 5 Draft takes place on Thursday, the final day of the Winter Meetings. Minor league players who are not on the 40-man roster are all eligible to be selected by a new team. If a team selects a player, they must keep that player on their 25-man roster for the entire season or be forced to offer him back to the team he was selected from.

Michael Mayer posted a list of potential players the Mets could target in the Rule 5 Draft to be held on Thursday. Some of those players include RHP Trevor Megill, OF Marcus Wilson, and SS Richie Martin. Check out the full list here.

Similarly, Jacob Resnick compiled a full list of all the Mets prospects and minor leaguers who were left unprotected from the 40 man roster, and are therefore vulnerable and available to be selected by another team. A few of those players are C Patrick Mazeika, RHP Corey Taylor, and SS Luis Carpio. You can read the full list here.

Mets Offseason Needs

Despite adding an elite closer in Edwin Diaz, the Mets still need at least two more solid arms in their bullpen including a setup man. Andrew Miller, Zach Britton, David Robertson and Adam Ottavino are some of names the Mets could be looking at.

A right-handed bat with power is also on their wish list to fill the outfield vacancy that opened up after trading Jay Bruce to the Mariners. The Mets have reportedly checked in on free agents Marwin Gonzalez and A.J. Pollock. There is also some buzz centering on Yasiel Puig who is reportedly being shopped by the Dodgers. Nick Markakis and Andrew McCutchen could also be options.

Despite tendering a contract to Travis d’Arnaud, the Mets are reportedly looking to significantly upgrade their catching position. One big name that keeps coming up is Marlins All Star J.T. Realmuto, but he won’t come cheap. Other options include free agents Wilson Ramos and Yasmani Grandal.

Latest Mets Buzz

With the Cleveland Indians extremely motivated to move either Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer, the Mets seem to be very interested according to several reports. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Mets have already spoken to the Indians about a trade for Kluber. The two-time Cy Young winner is under team control for three more seasons and posted a 2.89 ERA and 0.99 WHIP this past season with 222 strikeouts in 215 innings pitched.

Important Dates

Dec 9- 13, 2018: The MLB Winter Meetings will take place in Las Vegas, Nev.

Dec 13, 2018: The Rule 5 draft will take place on the final day of the Winter Meetings, starting at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

Jan 11, 2019: Clubs and arbitration-eligible players must exchange salary figures.

Jan 22, 2019: The Baseball Hall of Fame announces the balloting results for the HOF Class of 2019.

Feb 1, 2019: Arbitration hearings begin for those eligible players who do not come to terms with their clubs before their hearing date.

Feb 14, 2019: Mets pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Port St. Lucie.

Feb 23, 2019: Mets open their Grapefruit League season against the Atlanta Braves at First Data Field in Port St. Lucie.

Mar 28, 2019: The Mets open their season when they visit the Washington Nationals for a three-game series at Nationals Park.

Apr 4, 2019: The Mets host the Washington Nationals for their home opener at Citi Field.

MMO Has You Covered

You can count on Metsmerized Online to keep you up to date on all the Mets news, rumors and happenings from Mandalay Bay Resorts and Casino in Las Vegas. Executive Editor Michael Mayer will be covering the Winter Meetings for MMO, and he’ll be passing along any and all team news and will file a daily summary each night.

As always, we won’t post any rumors on MMO unless it passes the sniff test and comes from a credible source. We’ll be working around the clock both day and night to ensure that you won’t miss a beat. You can also follow all the action on our Twitter feed @Metsmerized and our Facebook Page.

Thanks so much for all of your incredible support. Please let us know what we can do to make your experience at Metsmerized Online a better one. And as always, Let’s Go Mets!

The post New York Mets Winter Meetings Guide and Planner appeared first on Metsmerized.

Good Morning Mets fans!

Tonight, the New York Mets (17-23) will take on the Los Angeles Angels (22-22). Zack Wheeler (2-2, 3.76 ERA) will take the mound to face Alex Meyer (2-1, 5.59 ERA).  Today’s game is a 7:15 PM start on FOX.

With the Mets looking to snap a seven game losing streak, the Amazins received a dominating performance from Jacob deGrom on Friday night. DeGrom tossed seven scoreless innings as the Mets beat the Angels, 3-0 in front of a packed house at Citi Field.  Michael Conforto hit a solo home run in the seventh inning for his 11th homer of the season in a much needed Mets victory.

Latest Mets News

Sandy Alderson did not commit to a return date for any returning players. He did mention there were not setbacks, namely when discussing Seth Lugo and Steven Matz.

He also said there are no imminent plans to call up Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith.

Jacob deGrom also developed a blister on ring finger during the seventh inning.

Latest Around the NL East

Mark Zuckerman of MASN covers an array of questions from Nats fans.

Matt Gelb of Philly.com has the latest on Odubel Herrera’s development.

David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says James Loney could join the Braves soon.  

Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald talks to a frustrated Giancarlo Stanton.  

In Case You Missed It

David Casillo discusses why he thinks Matt Harvey continues to struggle. 

Joe D. encourages optimism for this season and says keep on believing.

Jacob Resnick posted his weekly Mets Farm Report that is packed with some great information.

This Day in Mets History

1967: Jack Hamilton hits the second ever Grand Slam for a Mets pitcher.

Birthdays: Wilson Valdez turns 39, Wayne Housie turns 52, Ken Boyer turns 86

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Look To Wheeler For Another Win Against The Halos appeared first on Metsmerized.

Last season the Mets hit 218 home runs, 5th most in the MLB. That mark also set a new franchise record for most home runs in a single season. A question for this season then becomes: Can the Mets put up similar power numbers in 2017? The names on the 2017 roster will be mostly the same, however in actuality, the lineup on any given day will have some major differences than 2016.

First of all, and probably the most important difference, is slugger Lucas Duda should be healthy for an entire season. The Mets went without his services for most of the 2016 season, employing light-hitting James Loney who hit nine home runs in 100 games, as opposed to Duda’s seven home runs in only 47 games.

In 2014, Duda hit 30 home runs in 153 games and 27 in 135 games in 2015. It remains to be seen how his injury last season affects his power going forward. It is a safe assumption to say he will return to form after an offseason’s work and will be good for as many as 30 home runs in 2017. We must also take into account that it is, for the first time in his career, a contract year as he will be a free agent after the season.

Another huge ‘if’ is whether or not Michael Conforto can break out into the power threat we all hope he can be. Even in his absolutely abysmal 2016, he still managed to hit 12 home runs in 109 games. Nobody knows for sure how good he will be in 2017 and beyond, but if he emerges this year as a legitimate offensive threat at the age of 23, I would not be surprised if he hit at least 20 home runs.

The Mets have yet to trade outfielder Jay Bruce, but for the sake of this article, that is a good thing. In nine seasons, Bruce has hit 241 home runs, averaging 31 per 162 games. Even though he didn’t exactly hit the ground running when he got to New York in 2016, he still managed to crush 33 home runs in the season. If he remains a Met on Opening Day, it is safe to assume two things: First of all, he will definitely be a trade deadline candidate, and second, his role will not be the every day starting job he’d enjoyed in Cincinnati.

Yoenis Cespedes will start every day, and as the Mets front office has said they want Michael Conforto out there every day as well, Bruce will be fighting for at bats with Curtis Granderson and Juan Lagares. Before being traded to the Mets in 2016, Bruce hit 25 home runs in 97 games for the Reds. If he were to play slightly less games due to the clogged outfield and then get traded in July, I’d estimate he’d add about 20 home runs to the Mets’ total.

The Mets will also be without constant home run threat Bartolo Colon. In 2016, Mets pitchers accounted for four home runs with Noah Syndergaard blasting three, including two in one game against Kenta Maeda. Matt Harvey also has a home run in his career (2015), and while Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz have yet to hit one over the fence, they are both above average hitting pitchers. I could see Mets starters accounting for five home runs in 2017, but again, the loss of Colon really hurts here.

There will be some constants returning to the Mets lineup. Neil Walker hit 23 home runs last season, and as he averages 21 home runs per 162 games, another 20 home runs out of him would not be crazy to ask for. Yoenis Cespedes blasted 31 homers of his own, and after hitting 35 the year before, his goal for this season should be at least 30. Fellow outfielder Curtis Granderson has improved on his home run total each of the past three seasons, blasting 30 in 2016. I think he will be good for another 25-30 home runs in 2017.

Asdrubal Cabrera hit 23 home runs last season, falling just short of his career-high 25 set in 2011. He missed some time in 2016 with a strained left patella in his knee, and even after he came back he was still playing through pain. Coming in to this season healthy, a conservative prediction for him would be somewhere in the 20 home run range.

Utility man Wilmer Flores has quietly hit 16 home in each of the past two seasons, last year doing it in only 307 at bats. With everyone coming back healthy, he will probably not get as much playing time as either of the last two seasons barring any injuries in the infield. Even so, at the rate he has been improving, I wouldn’t be surprised if he hit 15 home runs in 2017 as he will surely be facing a lot of lefties, against whom he thrives.

David Wright and Jose Reyes will be sharing the spotlight at third base this season, so it would be best to group them together. Reyes hit eight home runs in 60 games last season, and will probably play plenty more than that in 2017. I estimate he will account for 10 home runs this season. Wright, while not the 30-homer threat he used to be, is still plenty capable of hitting it over the fence. It remains to be seen how many games he will play in, but after hitting 12 home runs in only 75 games the last two seasons, that seems like a good estimate for 2017.

The last starting player to predict, with the exception of maybe Michael Conforto, is the toughest. Travis d’Arnaud has severely underperformed his entire career, hitting only 13 home runs in 108 games in 2014, improving with 12 homers in 67 games the next year, falling back to only four home runs in 75 games last season. He has many problems to work on, but his .323 SLG% is certainly one of them. The front office is giving him one last chance in 2017, passing on free agent All Star catcher Matt Wieters. An optimistic prediction is that he breaks out with 20 home runs this season, but a more realistic expectation is in the 10-15 range.

It is important to remember the bench when making these predictions, as they will account for plenty of home runs. Juan Lagares hit three home runs last year, but he’s got more than that in the tank. Unfortunately, whether or not Bruce gets traded, his playing time will once again be severely curtailed, so I wouldn’t expect more than five out of him. Rene Rivera is returning, and the six home runs he hit last season is a good expectation for 2017 as well.

To sum up, here is a list of my final predictions for each Mets’ home run totals in 2017 (keep in mind I am a very optimistic person):

Yoenis Cespedes: 31-35
Lucas Duda: 27-33
Curtis Granderson: 24-30
Michael Conforto: 21-25
Asdrubal Cabrera: 20-24
Neil Walker: 18-23
Jay Bruce: 18-23 (before traded at deadline)
Wilmer Flores: 13-18
David Wright: 13-18
Travis d’Arnaud: 10-15
Jose Reyes: 8-13
Rene Rivera: 3-7
Juan Lagares: 3-7
Pitchers: 3-7

Some of those players will hit less than my prediction, some will hit more, and most likely, some will get injured. The Mets hit 218 home runs last year without Lucas Duda and a productive Michael Conforto. Those two additions alone should help shatter last year’s home run total as long as everybody else hits around the same amount they did last year.

We must give serious credit to Mets hitting coach Kevin Long. Before he arrived, the Mets were 20th in home runs, hitting only 125 as a team in 2014. In 2015, his first season, they moved up to 8th with 177 home runs. In 2016, with the help of Neil Walker, Asdrubal Cabrera, and a full season from Yoenis Cespedes, they jumped up again to 5th place with 218 dingers. While the Mets made some strong acquisitions during that time, Long was certainly one of them.

I think the Mets will eclipse their total from last year. I predict they’ll move up to second in the Majors, surpassing the Seattle Mariners, the Toronto Blue Jays who lost Edwin Encarnacion (42 HRs in 2016) and the St. Louis Cardinals who lost Matt Holliday (20) and Brandon Moss (28). The Baltimore Orioles should lead the league again, especially after re-signing Mark Trumbo who hit 47 last season.

What do you think of my predictions? Do you think they’re too lofty or should they be higher? Comment below!

The post Can Mets Eclipse Last Season’s Franchise Record 218 Home Runs? appeared first on Metsmerized.

The injury of Lucas Duda created a black hole for at first base for the majority of the 2016 season that the Mets tried to plug with James Loney. The Mets sent cash to the San Diego Padres for Loney, who was playing Triple-A, in hopes of filling Duda’s shoes.

Loney started and finished strong for the Mets, but in between he was brutally bad. He went a 20 start stretch without an extra base hit and 18 start streak without walking. Overall, he hit an underwhelming .265/.307/.397 while showing poor range, the inability to stretch and had the 3rd worst fielding percentage (.989) among first baseman that played at least 600 innings.

There are concerns for Duda though, coming off a season in which he played only 47 games because of a stress fracture in his back. In those 47 games he hit only .229/.302/.412 with seven doubles, seven home runs and 23 RBI.

Insert Dominic Smith. Not only is he the Mets top first base prospect but he’s also one of the best in all of baseball at the position. This season he set career highs with 14 home runs, two triples, 64 runs scored, 94 RBI and 146 hits. He slashed .302/.367/.457 for the Binghamton Mets while being the second youngest player in the Double-A Eastern League.

Some questioned if we would ever see home run power from Smith and he starting showing it in 2016. Coming into the season he had only 10 career home runs but did lead the Florida State League with 33 doubles in 2015.

Smith started pulling the ball with authority more and getting more loft in his swing this year. On the other side of the ball, defense has never been an issue for Smith who has great hands and works well around the bag at first. He is starting to put the whole package together which has many Mets fans excited.

The 21-year old Smith should start the 2017 season with the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s and undoubtedly put up strong numbers in a hitters haven.

Loney is a free agent and there’s little reason to see him coming back to the Mets. Leaving Duda as the only first baseman on the Mets 40-man roster. Duda is arbitration eligible and the Mets tendering him a contract that is estimated at $6.7 million seems like a no-brainer given his 2014-2015 production.

So what happens if Duda gets hurt again in 2017? Would the Mets turn to Smith or sign another James Loney type? Most see Dominic Smith as the Mets first baseman of the future, but could that time come at some point in 2017?

The post Mets Minors: Could Dominic Smith See the Majors in 2017? appeared first on Metsmerized.

The New York Mets will have a decision to make in 2017 as far as who it is that will be manning first base for the team.

The Metropolitans will have a few options to choose from in the coming year. Lucas Duda is eligible for salary arbitration and it is expected that the Mets will tender him a contract at this time. He is projected to make $6.7MM through arbitration.

2016 was a lost year for the Mets slugging first baseman due to a back injury as he only appeared in 47 games. In 153 plate appearances, Duda hit to a .229/.302/.412 batting line with seven homers and 23 RBI.

Duda is also a positive when it comes to defense and will provide the team with a good glove at first. If Duda is back at full strength in 2017, he could be the team’s best option going forward.

Then of course there is the man who kept first base warm for Duda in 2016, James Loney. The veteran castoff did a fine job replacing Duda for the season, providing good defense while having a reliable bat.

In 100 games for the Mets in 2016, Loney hit to a .265/.307/.397 batting line to go along with nine homers and 34 RBI. Loney was never known for his power, but did give you solid at-bats. He came up big in spots down the stretch with some huge homers, one that helped the team clinch a playoff spot in Philadelphia.

Loney would return as a low-cost option, should the team want someone to fall back on in case Duda is unable to stay healthy. With other options though, I do not see the Mets bringing back Loney.

That brings us to our “Wild Card” option to play first base for the Mets in 2017. It has been said that the Mets will hand Michael Conforto a first baseman’s glove in the offseason to have him prepare to play the position.

With a crowded outfield, the Mets need to give their young player some versatility to get him into the game as much as possible. 2016 was a trying year for Conforto as he found himself up and down between the big leagues and the minors.

In 109 games played, Conforto hit to a .220/.310/.414 battling line to go with 12 homers and 42 RBI. He looked overmatched for most of the season, losing his confidence along the way. He would always though show flashes of his 2015 dominance, giving hope that he can come back to form.

2017 will be a big season for Conforto, given the opportunity it would be great to see him as a regular in the lineup, splitting time between first base and the outfield.

The Mets could end up going a whole other route at first base, possibly giving Jay Bruce some time there as well or signing a free agent such as Edwin Encarnacion. Who do you believe will be playing first base for the Mets in 2017?

The post Who is the Mets’ Best Option at 1B for 2017? appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets have released the 25-man roster for tonight’s Wild Card game against the San Francisco Giants. So, without further ado, behold:

Pitchers:

LHP Jerry Blevins              #39
LHP Josh Edgin                 #66
RHP Bartolo Colon            #40
RHP Jeurys Familia           #27
RHP Robert Gsellman       #65
RHP Addison Reed           #43
RHP Hansel Robles          #47
RHP Fernando Salas        #59
RHP Noah Syndergaard   #34

Catchers:

Travis d’Arnaud                #18
Kevin Plawecki                 #26
Rene Rivera                      #44

Infielders:

Asdrubal Cabrera            #13
Eric Campbell                  #29
Kelly Johnson                 #55
Ty Kelly                            #56
James Loney                   #28
Jose Reyes                      #7
T.J. Rivera                       #54

Outfielders:

Jay Bruce                        #19
Yoenis Cespedes           #52
Michael Conforto            #30
Alejandro De Aza           #16
Curtis Granderson         #3
Juan Lagares                 #12

Notably left off the roster are first baseman Lucas Duda and lefty reliever Josh Smoker.

Follow me on Twitter @LBarer32

The post Mets Release Wild Card Roster, Duda And Smoker Left Off appeared first on Metsmerized.

While manager Terry Collins declined to reveal his lineup for Wednesday’s Wild Card game against the San Francisco Giants, it appears that James Loney will be at first base instead of Lucas Duda.

“I’ve got a good feeling,” said a smiling Loney when asked if he was told he’d be in the lineup.

Collins did reveal that he will be going with nine pitchers, leaving him plenty of options among his 16 position players.

“I have a lineup and I’m not going to reveal it. We used a lot of players to get to where we are. And so, there are a lot of pieces that are not going to be part of the roster tomorrow night, which may change if we get to a multi-game series. We had to make decisions on the guys we think are best prepared, best ready for one game and it’s hard, very hard.”

Original Report – Oct 3

On Wednesday, October 5, the New York Mets will face Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants in the National League Wild Card game. The only big question remaining for the starters is who will be playing first base?

You can make strong points for both Lucas Duda and James Loney. There had been some reports suggesting that Eric Campbell may even get the nod due to being a righty bat. That thankfully though was laid to rest on Sunday according to a couple of reports.

So we are left with Duda or Loney. For Lucas’ case, he has just come back from the Disabled List and has not seen too much action as of late, appearing in eight games since his return on September 18. Over that span, he is 5-for-23 with no homers and four RBI.

Duda has only faced Bumgarner once in his career and is 0-for-1 against him. Overall against LHP, he has hit to a .224/.295/.364 battling line to go along with 17 homers and 70 RBI over 634 plate appearances.

Loney on the other hand has had some clutch at-bats as of late, including the decisive two-run bomb on Saturday that helped the Mets clinch the top Wild Card spot. Over his last 15 games, Loney has hit to a .267/.298/.467 batting line to go with two homers and five RBI.

He has also had some experience against Bumgarner, going 2-for-13 while facing him. Overall against LHP, Loney has hit to a .251/.299/.347 batting line to go with five homers and 20 RBI over 1,377 plate appearances.

The production difference is quite stark between the two when comparing those numbers. Yes, Loney hits for a better average but Duda will be a threat in every at-bat he takes.

Both first baseman provide somewhat similar defense, so there is no step lost there. It all comes down to offense, especially in a game where runs could be quite hard to come by. I would have to put Duda in the starting lineup, if I was playing manager for the day. Who would you put in?

The post James Loney Gets The Start At 1B For Wild Card Game appeared first on Metsmerized.

James Loney delivered the decisive homer in Saturday’s 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies that helped the Mets clinch the top Wild Card spot.

For the second consecutive season, the Mets are heading to the postseason. In what was another thrilling victory, Loney crushed a 426-foot bomb to put the Mets ahead for good after the Phillies had tied the game at two a piece in the previous inning.

As soon as he hit it, Loney and his teammates all knew it was leaving the park. Uncharacteristically, Loney performed one of the better bat flips you may see as he dropped the bat as if it were a microphone, looked into the dugout at his teammates before trotting around the bases.

“My emotions just took over,” Loney said. “I was in the moment. You know how big the game is. This is what you play for.” (ESPN)

The Mets first-basemen has had a couple of key hits as of late and has performed quite well over his last 15 games, providing a .292/.320/.563 batting line in 48 plate appearances.

The homer on Saturday was his biggest yet as a Met, helping the team to clinch a Wild Card spot that they scratched and clawed their way back to this season after seemingly being left for dead. Mets fans were all over Citizens Bank Park to witness their team clinch, Loney could say nothing but great things about the fans following the game.

“We have a great fan base,” Loney said. “You can see their excitement and their passion, and we play off that.”

With his recent prowess at the plate and his above average defense, it begs to ask the question if Loney would get the start over Lucas Duda in Wednesday’s Wild Card game. He is not the same threat Duda is in the lineup but has shown to be clutch as of late.

As Terry Collins ponders who will man first base, we will just leave this right here.

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The post James Loney Delivers Decisive Homer and Memorable Bat Flip! appeared first on Metsmerized.